GoldenRed
by Meridas
Summary: General and child, friend and killer - the legendary leader of the Apostle's Army claims he doesn't care who he strikes down along the road to victory.


_Author's note: Ike's perspective on the attack on Nox Castle in Daein. I feel like I did Ike's character some justice: fairly simple, but with some decent skeletons. If you disagree I'm sorry - please don't flame, just go read something else. Anyway, when I was playing the game I was a little surprised at the callous way he was so ready to kill his old friends, no matter that they were on opposite sides at the moment, especially after his father was killed in Path of Radiance by an old friend/pupil. I felt like Greil's death had a lot of impact on Ike, and might come into play more than Ike would admit when he was faced with a situation being on the other side. Anyway. So that's how this happened. Reviews are welcome._

_**Disclaimer**__: whatever you recognize belongs to Nintendo + co._

_..._

Ike looked up at the fortifications with narrowed eyes. "Why don't they just give in?"

"There is an easy and a complicated answer," Soren replied. "Which one would you like?"

Ike shrugged. "Neither. Now's not the time." He unsheathed Ragnell. "Let's go."

He strode into battle with the golden blade swinging right and left. In fights like this, every one of his senses seemed to open up, allowing to be aware of everything around him while still focusing on one goal, one enemy at a time. He waded through Daein soldiers, clad in black armor that did them little good against the holy sword he wielded. Nearing the inner ledges, he swatted aside an arrow that flew at Soren, then clashed swords with a small brown-haired swordmaster. The boy stumbled; he evaded Ike's first blow but not the second. As Ike swung Ragnell to strike the swordmaster down, a glint of silver whistled past his ear. A sudden impact on his blade jerked the weapon aside, though Ike didn't lose his grip. He spun around even as he knew with a sinking feeling that there was only one person in Daein who could throw knives like that.

Sothe stood at the top of the stairs, guarding the way to the keep and the Maiden of Dawn. He already had another dagger in his hand, but Ike had never seen him looking less inclined to use it. _Walk away,_ Sothe's eyes pleaded fiercely. _Don't make me fight you._

But he didn't have much choice. Sothe stood between their army and the silver-haired general. It was Ike or the blood-crazed laguz warriors, and Prince Rafiel wanted Micaiah unarmed. Ike had to get to her, and that meant going through Sothe.

"Commander Ike…"

"Are you really going to do this, Sothe?" Ike asked him gravely.

He saw familiar determination in the green-gold eyes. "I can't pretend that we're doing the right thing," the former thief admitted. "But we… can't stop, Commander. I'm sorry. We have to keep fighting."

Ike sighed, and readied his sword. "Very well, Sothe. Then I'll strike you down with one blow. I owe you that much."

A tiny smile touched the rogue's mouth. "Thank you, Commander."

And then he attacked.

Ike had forgotten the sheer speed of Sothe's fighting. Ike was forced to jerk backwards to avoid being impaled right away. He shoved the rogue away, so that his longer weapon had the advantage. Both of them ducked and parried and dodged each other's weapons and tried to counter with their own. Neither of them was able to tag the other — until Ike swung an overhand blow, and Sothe raised his knives to block it; with an enormous effort Ike pulled the sword back and reversed the strike, and stepped forward and drove the blade into him.

Time seemed to stop, with Ike frozen between moments. In one he was a general with Ragnell in his hand, blood on his fingers and an army at his back — in the other, he was a kid, standing in the shadows and staring at a bright sword protruding from his father's back… Greil hadn't cried out, and neither did Sothe, just made a small, harsh gasping sound that Ike only heard because he stood so close: Sothe's weight leaned briefly against Ike's shoulder, and he could see Ragnell's golden-red blade behind Sothe… it could almost mean that Ike had missed him again, except for the blood washing over his hand, gluing it to the hilt of the sword. How much of Greil's blood had seeped into the Black Knight's hand that night; there was so much of Sothe's that both their shirts were stained with it…

Ike stepped back, icy with shock. Sothe slid off the end of the sword without a sound, and fell back. There was no one to catch him, as Ike had been there for his father…

All his battlefield instincts warred with one burning thought: he would not, he could never become his father's killer. The knife had fallen out of Sothe's hand as he pressed against the wound, with no hope of stopping the blood pouring onto the stones below…

Ike got down on one knee, keeping a firm grip on his sword, but with his other hand he grasped Sothe's shoulder.

"Commander—" the rogue gasped, "what're you — why didn't you…"

"You're an idiot," Ike told him grimly. "But you know it. And you might be the only one who can talk some sense into that girl. Sothe, I know you're not fighting against the laguz and the apostle because you want to. Tell me why Daein's doing this!"

"I'm sorry…" Sothe panted, but the rest of his words were lost as his face contorted in agony, in the effort of not crying out.

Someone did scream, though, close by: a single scream that rose above the cries of the battle, a girl's voice which called out a name in a voice that broke with terror. Someone else's voice yelled "My lady!", but when Ike looked up she was already there: Daein's Silver-Haired Maiden, ignoring the battle and abandoning caution as she threw herself to her knees beside Sothe.

"No!" she cried, cradling his head in her lap. "No, Sothe, please—" she made as if to reach for a staff, but she must have dropped or broken it from her position of command. So she reached out and laid her hand — suddenly glowing misty blue-green — over her fallen companion's heart.

Ike was on his feet again, but now he couldn't stop staring at that girl. What an unlikely soldier, he couldn't help thinking. She was frozen like that, her head bowed over Sothe's, her slim shoulders shaking. It would be so easy to strike her down right now and end this — but instead Ike found himself shouldering aside a tiger laguz as he leapt at the Maiden.

"I said not her!" he shouted, and his voice seemed to break the curious spell over the three of them. Micaiah slumped with an exhausted sob; Sothe gasped, then drew in a shuddering breath, and shivered once; and then Micaiah raised her head and looked at Ike, and they both knew that the next move was his to make.

He was not his father's killer — but he was a general, and he had to do something about this girl and her mad war. She was so exhausted already, it looked like she'd collapse if he tapped her. Grimly he hefted Ragnell, ready to put his idea to the test. If he knocked her out and took her back with him — he'd better take Sothe, too, or else he'd have a real problem with a hell-bent rogue out to rescue her — then he'd have a hostage even if he never got an explanation. He stepped forward; the girl just looked at him without fear, but she leaned over Sothe protectively, as if she, weak as a kitten, could hope to defend anyone just now—

"GET DOWN!"

Ike whirled around, swearing. Then a small form hit him, and he crashed to the ground under Soren's unexpected tackle. He rolled over just in time to see a blast of blinding black light — it looked like light, or fire, or something unlike anything Ike had seen… no. Wait. He had seen something like that before, three years ago…

"Dragon," he whispered — then he threw himself over Soren as rubble began to smash into the ground around them.

"Everyone is to throw down their weapons!" yelled a vaguely familiar voice. Ike looked up.

"Ena!" he gasped.

She glared down at the fighting soldiers, her hair whipping in the wind generated by the wings of Elincia's pegasus and the massive black dragon behind her. "All of you are ordered to throw down your weapons and cease fighting!" she shouted again. "Do this for your own welfare!"

The black dragon roared, and Ike believed Ena. He stood up, dragging Soren with him. "All units, retreat!" he shouted. "Platoon commanders, gather your men!"

"Ike!" Mist screamed, and he dashed for her — she wasn't hurt, but some of his mercenaries were. Ike heaved a barely-conscious Rhys up behind Mist, shouted "hang on!" and then reached down and slung Mia over his shoulder. He gestured for Mist to get out, and ran after her small, sturdy horse; he'd lost Soren somewhere in the fray, but then Oscar galloped past, and Ike glimpsed his tactician clutching at the saddle, blood streaming down his face.

Ike sprinted out of the fort, swearing fluently under his breath. Outside, he paused and glanced back, his breath steaming in the air. They'd been so close — _so close! _— to being through and finished with Daein. They didn't have time for delays. He turned again and ran after his army, thinking furiously that Ena had better meet them. She had a whole lot of explaining to do.


End file.
